70 results on '"Cuenca-Bescós, G."'
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52. Els lagomorfs (O. Lagomorpha, Cl. Mammalia) del Pliocè i Pleistocè europeus
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Marfà i Taillefer, Roger de, Domènech, Rosa, Cuenca-Bescós, G., Agustí, Jordi, 1954, and Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Estratigrafia i Paleontologia
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Quaternari ,Quaternary ,Europe ,Lagomorfs fòssils ,Lagomorpha, Fossil ,Europa - Abstract
En aquest treball han estat estudiades nombroses restes de lagomorfs (O. Lagomorpha, Cl. Mammalia) de diversos jaciments del Pliocè i Pleistocè europeus, com Zújar - 11 (Granada), Casablanca 1 (Castelló), Perrier (França), Valdarno (Itàlia), Barranco León 5 i Fuente Nueva 3 (Granada), Cueva Victoria (Murcia), Sima del Elefante 9 (Atapuerca), Dmanisi (Geòrgia), Cova del Toll i El Carmel (Barcelona). S'ha prestat especial interès en la família Leporidae, que és la que presenta més problemàtiques en la sistemàtica. Abans de dur a terme l'estudi sistemàtic dels fòssils, ha estat necessari reconèixer els principals caràcters morfològics que diferencien els taxons de lepòrids actuals que viuen en la regió mediterrània occidental. Aquest estudi s'ha centrat bàsicament en l'esquelet i, especialment, en el tercer premolar inferior. Així, d'una banda, les relacions entre els paràmetres biomètrics han permès diferenciar els gèneres Oryctolagus i Lepus; d'altra banda, a partir de l'anàlisi morfomètrica del P3 que s'ha efectuat mitjançant landmarks i transformades de Fourier, també ha sigut possible discriminar entre ambdós gèneres. D'aquesta manera, a partir d'aquests dos estudis dels lepòrids actuals s'ha realitzat una assignació taxonòmica de les restes fòssils. Pel que fa als ocotònids (Fam. Ochotonidae), s'ha identificat Prolagus michauxi a Zújar (sent la resta més moderna d'aquesta espècie), Prolagus calpensis a Casablanca i Cueva Victoria, Prolagus sp. a Barranco León 5, i Ochotona sp. a Dmanisi. Respecte els lepòrids, s'ha identificat la presència d'un Leporidae indet. a Perpignan (França), tot i que probablement es tracti de Trischizolagus o Hypolagus; d'Oryctolagus sp. a Zújar 11, Casablanca, Barranco León 5, Fuente Nueva 3 i Sima del Elefante TE9; d'Oryctolagus lacosti a Perrier (França) i Valdarno (Itàlia); d'Oryctolagus giberti (nova espècie per la ciència) a Cueva Victoria i El Carmel; d'O. cuniculus a la Cova del Toll, i de Lepus sp. en el jaciment de Sima del Elefante TE9. Cap resta fòssil clarament atribuïble a O. cuniculus ha estat identificada en el Pleistocè inferior, fet que no concorda amb els resultats dels estudis moleculars. D'altra banda, la presència de veritables llebres ja en el Pleistocè inferior a Europa occidental, fins ara en discussió, queda confirmada a partir del material de Sima del Elefante TE9., Fossil lagomorphs (Lagomorpha, Mammalia) are common in Pliocene and Pleistocene European sites but they have been understudied until now. Fossil remains are craneal and postcraneal bones, teeth being particularly abundant, but the high morphological variability of this group makes taxonomic identification difficult. To solve this main obstacle, a morphologic study of Recent and fossil lagomorphs, paying special attention to the morphometry of the third lower premolar of modern Leporids from the Western Mediterranean area has been carried out. Landmark and elliptic Fourier analyses are applied for the first time to the study of this group. So, the results allow to clearly discriminate the leporid genera Oryctolagus and Lepus, and are very useful for the determination of fossil remains. Studied material was either directly sampled in the outcrops or belongs to historical collections housed in Museums. The main considered localities are Perrier (France), Valdarno (Italy), Dmanisi (Georgia), Zújar 11, Casablanca, Barranco León and Fuente Nueva, Cueva Victoria, Sima del Elefante, Cova del Toll and El Carmel (Spain). The following taxa have been identified: Prolagus sp., Prolagus michauxi, Prolagus calpensis, and Ochotona sp. (Ochotonidae); and Oryctolagus sp., Oryctolagus lacosti, Oryctolagus giberti (new species), Oryctolagus cuniculus, and Lepus sp. (Leporidae). Oryctolagus giberti shows several intermediate characters between O. laynensis, the first known representative of the genus, and the modern European rabbit (O. cuniculus), turning it in a firm candidate to occupy a phylogenetic place between these two species. The remains of P. michauxi of Zújar (upper Pliocene) represent the most modern record of this species known until now, and the abundant fossils of Lepus sp. from Sima del Elefante confirms the early presence of this genus in the Lower Pleistocene of Europe.
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- 2009
53. Nobody's land? The oldest evidence of early Upper Paleolithic settlements in inland Iberia.
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Sala N, Alcaraz-Castaño M, Arriolabengoa M, Martínez-Pillado V, Pantoja-Pérez A, Rodríguez-Hidalgo A, Téllez E, Cubas M, Castillo S, Arnold LJ, Demuro M, Duval M, Arteaga-Brieba A, Llamazares J, Ochando J, Cuenca-Bescós G, Marín-Arroyo AB, Seijo MM, Luque L, Alonso-Llamazares C, Arlegi M, Rodríguez-Almagro M, Calvo-Simal C, Izquierdo B, Cuartero F, Torres-Iglesias L, Agudo-Pérez L, Arribas A, Carrión JS, Magri D, Zhao JX, and Pablos A
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- Humans, Animals, Fossils, Archaeology, Spain, History, Ancient, Population Dynamics, Climate, Neanderthals
- Abstract
The Iberian Peninsula is a key region for unraveling human settlement histories of Eurasia during the period spanning the decline of Neandertals and the emergence of anatomically modern humans (AMH). There is no evidence of human occupation in central Iberia after the disappearance of Neandertals ~42,000 years ago until approximately 26,000 years ago, rendering the region "nobody's land" during the Aurignacian period. The Abrigo de la Malia provides irrefutable evidence of human settlements dating back to 36,200 to 31,760 calibrated years before the present (cal B.P.) This site also records additional levels of occupation around 32,420 to 26,260 cal B.P., suggesting repeated settlement of this territory. Our multiproxy examination identifies a change in climate trending toward colder and more arid conditions. However, this climatic deterioration does not appear to have affected AMH subsistence strategies or their capacity to inhabit this region. These findings reveal the ability of AMH groups to colonize regions hitherto considered uninhabitable, reopening the debate on early Upper Paleolithic population dynamics of southwestern Europe.
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- 2024
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54. Rodents as indicators of the climatic conditions during the Middle Pleistocene in the southwestern Mediterranean region: implications for the environment in which hominins lived.
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López-García JM, Cuenca-Bescós G, Galindo-Pellicena MÁ, Luzi E, Berto C, Lebreton L, and Desclaux E
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- Animals, Biota, France, Italy, Paleontology, Portugal, Spain, Archaeology, Climate, Environment, Fossils, Hominidae, Rodentia
- Abstract
Rodents are a very useful tool in reconstructing the environment of the past, especially owing to their rapid response to climate change, their small home range, and their restricted habitat requirements. They are a highly diverse group of mammals, which have high reproduction rates and as a result can evolve rapidly. The abundance of their microfossil remains in archaeological and paleontological sites permits robust statistical analyses to reconstruct the past climate and environment. Recently, a number of studies have affirmed the need to deepen the climatic characterization of the European Quaternary, the Middle Pleistocene being an important stage for ascertaining how our hominin ancestors lived. The aim of this study is to characterize the climatic conditions in which hominins lived in southwestern Mediterranean Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. To reconstruct these climatic conditions, we apply the bioclimatic model to rodent assemblages from Middle Pleistocene sites with human remains (Caune de l'Arago, Sima de los Huesos, Aroeira cave, Visogliano, Trinchera Galeria, and Mollet cave). Based on the percentage distribution of the species in different climate types and applying multiple linear regressions, we estimated the mean annual temperature, the mean temperature of the coldest month, and the mean temperature of the warmest month. We compared these estimates with data collected over the last 30 years from nearby meteorological stations to obtain the differences with current climate and observe the fluctuations. The climatic conditions obtained from the results of this study show that, while in Iberia mild climatic condition prevailed, in southern France and northeastern Italy harsher weather conditions were indicated., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The author declares that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
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- 2021
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55. Protocol for the reconstruction of micromammals from fossils. Two case studies: The skulls of Beremendia fissidens and Dolinasorex glyphodon.
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Moya-Costa R, Cuenca-Bescós G, and Bauluz B
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- Animals, Extinction, Biological, Software, X-Ray Microtomography, Fossils anatomy & histology, Imaging, Three-Dimensional methods, Shrews anatomy & histology, Skull anatomy & histology
- Abstract
We have developed a protocol for reconstructing 3D models of the skulls of extinct species of small mammals. For the first time, the reconstruction uses fragments of fossils from a mixture of different specimens and from related extant species. We use free software and commercial computers to make the process reproducible and usable for the scientific community. We present a semi-quantitative protocol to face the problem of making 3D reconstructions of fossil species that are incomplete in the fossil record and/or represented by a mixture of different individuals, as usually occurs with small vertebrates. Therefore this approach is useful when no complete skull is available. The protocol combines the use of microCT scan technology with a subsequent computer treatment using different software tools for 3D reconstruction from microCT and 3D design and printing (e.g. Fiji, SPIERS, Meshlab, Meshmixer) in a defined order. This kind of free and relatively simple software, plus the detailed description, makes this protocol practicable for researchers who do not necessarily have great deal of experience in working with 3D. As an example, we have performed virtual reconstructions of the skulls of two species of insectivore small mammals (Eulipotyphla): Beremendia fissidens and Dolinasorex glyphodon. The resulting skulls, plus models of the extant shrews Blarina brevicauda, Neomys fodiens, Crocidura russula and Sorex coronatus, make it possible to compare characteristics that can only be observed by means of microCT 3D reconstructions, and given the characteristics of the material, using this protocol. Among the characters we can compare are the position of the mandibles, the spatial relations among all the teeth, the shape of the snout and, in general, all parameters related with the anatomy of the rostrum. Moreover, these reconstructions can be used in different types of context: for anatomical purposes, especially to see internal features or characteristics at whole-skull scale, for bioengineering, animation, or other techniques that need a digital model., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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- 2019
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56. Molecular phylogenetics supports the origin of an endemic Balearic shrew lineage (Nesiotites) coincident with the Messinian Salinity Crisis.
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Bover P, Mitchell KJ, Llamas B, Rofes J, Thomson VA, Cuenca-Bescós G, Alcover JA, Cooper A, and Pons J
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- Animals, Bayes Theorem, Calibration, Caves, DNA, Mitochondrial genetics, Evolution, Molecular, Fossils, Genome, Mitochondrial, Shrews genetics, Phylogeny, Salinity, Shrews classification
- Abstract
The red-toothed shrews (Soricinae) are the most widespread subfamily of shrews, distributed from northern South America to North America and Eurasia. Within this subfamily, the tribe Nectogalini includes the fossil species Nesiotites hidalgo recorded from the Late Pleistocene to Holocene of the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean). Although there is a consensus about the close relationship between the extinct red-toothed shrew genera Nesiotites and Asoriculus based on morphology, molecular data are necessary to further evaluate the phylogenetic relationships of the Balearic fossils. We obtained a near complete mitochondrial genome of N. hidalgo, allowing the first molecular phylogenetic analysis of this species. Analyses based on 15,167 bp of the mitochondrial genome placed N. hidalgo as close relative to the extant Himalayan shrew (Soriculus nigrescens), and a combined analysis using molecular and morphological data confirm that N. hidalgo and Asoriculus gibberodon are sister-taxa with S. nigrescens as the immediate outgroup. Molecular clock and divergence estimates suggest that the split between N. hidalgo and its closest living relative occurred around 6.44 Ma, which is in agreement with the previously proposed colonisation of the Balearic Islands from mainland Europe by nectogaline shrews during the Messinian Salinity Crisis (5.97-5.33 My ago). Our results highlight that it is possible to retrieve genetic data from extinct small mammals from marginal environments for DNA preservation. Additional finds from the fossil record of Soricinae from the Eurasian Late Miocene/Early Pliocene are needed to shed further light on the still confusing taxonomy and paleobiogeography of this clade., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2018
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57. A context for the last Neandertals of interior Iberia: Los Casares cave revisited.
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Alcaraz-Castaño M, Alcolea-González J, Kehl M, Albert RM, Baena-Preysler J, de Balbín-Behrmann R, Cuartero F, Cuenca-Bescós G, Jiménez-Barredo F, López-Sáez JA, Piqué R, Rodríguez-Antón D, Yravedra J, and Weniger GC
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- Animals, Caves, Climate, Radiometric Dating, Spain, Technology, Archaeology, Fossils, Neanderthals
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Introduction and Objectives: Although the Iberian Peninsula is a key area for understanding the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition and the demise of the Neandertals, valuable evidence for these debates remains scarce and problematic in its interior regions. Sparse data supporting a late Neandertal persistence in the Iberian interior have been recently refuted and hence new evidence is needed to build new models on the timing and causes of Neandertal disappearance in inland Iberia and the whole peninsula. In this study we provide new evidence from Los Casares, a cave located in the highlands of the Spanish Meseta, where a Neandertal-associated Middle Paleolithic site was discovered and first excavated in the 1960's. Our main objective is twofold: (1) provide an updated geoarcheological, paleoenvironmental and chronological framework for this site, and (2) discuss obtained results in the context of the time and nature of the last Neandertal presence in Iberia., Methods: We conducted new fieldwork in an interior chamber of Los Casares cave named 'Seno A'. Our methods included micromorphology, sedimentology, radiocarbon dating, Uranium/Thorium dating, palinology, microfaunal analysis, anthracology, phytolith analysis, archeozoology and lithic technology. Here we present results on site formation processes, paleoenvironment and the chronological setting of the Neandertal occupation at Los Casares cave-Seno A., Results and Discussion: The sediment sequence reveals a mostly in situ archeological deposit containing evidence of both Neandertal activity and carnivore action in level c, dated to 44,899-42,175 calendar years ago. This occupation occurred during a warm and humid interval of Marine Isotopic Stage 3, probably correlating with Greenland Interstadial 11, representing one of the latest occurrences of Neandertals in the Iberian interior. However, overlying layer b records a deterioration of local environments, thus providing a plausible explanation for the abandonment of the site, and perhaps for the total disappearance of Neandertals of the highlands of inland Iberia during subsequent Greenland Stadials 11 or 10, or even Heinrich Stadial 4. Since layer b provided very few signs of human activity and no reliable chronometric results, and given the scarce chronostratigrapic evidence recorded so far for this period in interior Iberia, this can only be taken as a working hypothesis to be tested with future research. Meanwhile, 42,000 calendar years ago remains the most plausible date for the abandonment of interior Iberia by Neandertals, possibly due to climate deterioration. Currently, a later survival of this human species in Iberia is limited to the southern coasts.
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- 2017
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58. Postcranial morphology of the middle Pleistocene humans from Sima de los Huesos, Spain.
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Arsuaga JL, Carretero JM, Lorenzo C, Gómez-Olivencia A, Pablos A, Rodríguez L, García-González R, Bonmatí A, Quam RM, Pantoja-Pérez A, Martínez I, Aranburu A, Gracia-Téllez A, Poza-Rey E, Sala N, García N, Alcázar de Velasco A, Cuenca-Bescós G, Bermúdez de Castro JM, and Carbonell E
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- Animals, Body Height, Body Size, Bone and Bones anatomy & histology, Hominidae anatomy & histology, Humans, Neanderthals anatomy & histology, Paleontology, Phylogeny, Population Dynamics, Spain, Fossils, Skull anatomy & histology
- Abstract
Current knowledge of the evolution of the postcranial skeleton in the genus Homo is hampered by a geographically and chronologically scattered fossil record. Here we present a complete characterization of the postcranium of the middle Pleistocene paleodeme from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) and its paleobiological implications. The SH hominins show the following: (i) wide bodies, a plesiomorphic character in the genus Homo inherited from their early hominin ancestors; (ii) statures that can be found in modern human middle-latitude populations that first appeared 1.6-1.5 Mya; and (iii) large femoral heads in some individuals, a trait that first appeared during the middle Pleistocene in Africa and Europe. The intrapopulational size variation in SH shows that the level of dimorphism was similar to modern humans (MH), but the SH hominins were less encephalized than Neandertals. SH shares many postcranial anatomical features with Neandertals. Although most of these features appear to be either plesiomorphic retentions or are of uncertain phylogenetic polarity, a few represent Neandertal apomorphies. Nevertheless, the full suite of Neandertal-derived features is not yet present in the SH population. The postcranial evidence is consistent with the hypothesis based on the cranial morphology that the SH hominins are a sister group to the later Neandertals. Comparison of the SH postcranial skeleton to other hominins suggests that the evolution of the postcranium occurred in a mosaic mode, both at a general and at a detailed level.
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- 2015
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59. Walk the line: 600000 years of molar evolution constrained by allometry in the fossil rodent Mimomys savini.
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Firmat C, Lozano-Fernández I, Agustí J, Bolstad GH, Cuenca-Bescós G, Hansen TF, and Pélabon C
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- Animals, Genetics, Population, Likelihood Functions, Models, Biological, Molar growth & development, Paleontology, Spain, Biological Evolution, Fossils, Molar anatomy & histology, Phenotype, Rodentia anatomy & histology
- Abstract
The allometric-constraint hypothesis states that evolutionary divergence of morphological traits is restricted by integrated growth regulation. In this study, we test this hypothesis on a time-calibrated and well-documented palaeontological sequence of dental measurements on the Pleistocene arvicoline rodent species Mimomys savini from the Iberian Peninsula. Based on 507 specimens representing nine populations regularly spaced over 600 000 years, we compare static (within-population) and evolutionary (among-population) allometric slopes between the width and the length of the first lower molar. We find that the static allometric slope remains evolutionary stable and predicts the evolutionary allometry quite well. These results support the hypothesis that the macroevolutionary divergence of molar traits is constrained by static allometric relationships., (© 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.)
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- 2014
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60. Pleistocene history of Iberomys, an endangered endemic rodent from southwestern Europe.
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Cuenca-Bescós G, López-García JM, Galindo-Pellicena MA, García-Perea R, Gisbert J, Rofes J, and Ventura J
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- Animals, Biological Evolution, Europe, Female, Genes, sry, Male, Paleontology, Skull anatomy & histology, Species Specificity, Arvicolinae anatomy & histology, Arvicolinae classification, Phylogeny
- Abstract
The extant Cabrera's vole, Microtus cabrerae, differs in morphology and evolutionary history from the other species of Microtus. This arvicoline has unique derived features in the cranium, mandible and dentition. Probably its most conspicuous features are its large size, the high skull in lateral view, the long and distally broad nasals, and the triangle shape of the anteroconid complex, with a marked labio-lingual asymmetry of the occlusal surface of the first lower molars. In this study, we propose a phylogenetic lineage that includes Cabrera's vole in what until now has been the Microtus subgenus Iberomys. Paleontological information and several life history traits support the elevation of Iberomys to the rank of genus. Genus Iberomys comprises species that have appeared in succession during the Quaternary: in the Early Pleistocene, the extinct I. huescarensis in the Middle Pleistocene, the extinct I. mediterraneus and in the Late Pleistocene, the extant I. cabrerae. Interestingly, the extant species shows several biological singularities, such as multiple polymorphic copies of the SRY male-specific gene in both males and females, and the lowest basal metabolic rate in relation to weight among arvicoline species. Likewise, its habitat requirement is unique among the Iberian arvicolines. Accordingly, the biological and paleontological data that we present in this work support the elevation of its taxonomic rank to that of genus. This study also suggests a modification of nomenclature: Microtus (Iberomys) brecciensis is replaced with I. mediterraneus and the common name of the extant M. (I.) cabrerae changed from 'topillo' to 'iberon' to improve conservation and protection actions., (© 2013 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)
- Published
- 2014
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61. Bone accumulation by leopards in the Late Pleistocene in the Moncayo massif (Zaragoza, NE Spain).
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Sauqué V, Rabal-Garcés R, Sola-Almagro C, and Cuenca-Bescós G
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- Animals, Bone and Bones anatomy & histology, Carnivory psychology, Caves, Humans, Hyaenidae physiology, Paleontology, Panthera psychology, Spain, Carnivory physiology, Fossils, Panthera physiology
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Eating habits of Panthera pardus are well known. When there are caves in its territory, prey accumulates inside them. This helps to prevent its kill from being stolen by other predators like hyenas. Although the leopard is an accumulator of bones in caves, few studies have been conducted on existing lairs. There are, however, examples of fossil vertebrate sites whose main collecting agent is the leopard. During the Late Pleistocene, the leopard was a common carnivore in European faunal associations. Here we present a new locality of Quaternary mammals with a scarce human presence, the cave of Los Rincones (province of Zaragoza, Spain); we show the leopard to be the main accumulator of the bones in the cave, while there are no interactions between humans and leopards. For this purpose, a taphonomic analysis is performed on different bone-layers of the cave.
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- 2014
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62. Late Miocene/Early Pliocene vertebrate fauna from Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean): an update.
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Bover P, Rofes J, Bailon S, Agustí J, Cuenca-Bescós G, Torres E, and Alcover JA
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- Animals, Bone and Bones anatomy & histology, Mediterranean Islands, Paleontology methods, Phylogeography, Species Specificity, Vertebrates classification, Biological Evolution, Fossils, Phylogeny, Vertebrates anatomy & histology
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The vertebrate fossil record from the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean) has improved considerably over the past decade, especially in Mallorca and Menorca. In Menorca, the Pliocene terrestrial fauna was updated by the discovery and description of the large-sized leporid Nuralagus, several reptiles and an amphibian. In Mallorca, paleontological exploration yielded 2 deposits with a Late Miocene/Early Pliocene chronology, Caló den Rafelino (CdR) and Na Burguesa-1 (NB-1). So far, 4 new mammalian taxa and 2 new reptiles have been identified for the CdR deposit, whereas the faunal assemblage from the recently discovered deposit (Apr 2012) of NB-1 is currently composed of, at least, 6 terrestrial mammals, 8 reptiles and an amphibian. Its faunal composition and some primitive characteristics of the obtained taxa suggest that the chronology of this deposit is slightly earlier than the CdR. The terrestrial vertebrates recorded in these 2 Mallorcan deposits are changing the view of the paleofaunal assemblage previously known for the Plio-Pleistocene of the island. Morphological characteristics displayed by some of the taxa suggest that these faunas would be at the beginning of an isolated evolution. In this paper we present a preliminary report on the fossils recovered from the NB-1 deposit, as well as some unpublished data from CdR, and we analyze the whole fauna from both Mallorcan deposits, focusing on taxonomical and paleobiogeographical aspects., (© 2013 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)
- Published
- 2014
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63. Palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate of the Mousterian-Aurignacian transition in northern Iberia: the small-vertebrate assemblage from Cueva del Conde (Santo Adriano, Asturias).
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López-García JM, Cuenca-Bescós G, Blain HA, Álvarez-Lao D, Uzquiano P, Adán G, Arbizu M, and Arsuaga JL
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- Animals, Ecosystem, Geologic Sediments, Rain, Spain, Temperature, Vertebrates anatomy & histology, Fossils, Paleontology, Vertebrates classification
- Abstract
The transition from the Middle Palaeolithic (Mousterian) to the Upper Palaeolithic (Aurignacian) has been one of the prominent themes in the archaeology of the European Palaeolithic for more than 20 years. One of the most controversial questions concerning this period is the extinction of the Neanderthals and their replacement by modern humans. In this context, Cueva del Conde, located in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, is an archaeo-palaeontological site that records the Mousterian to Aurignacian transition. It has been excavated since the beginning of the 20th century, first by the Conde de la Vega del Sella and systematically by a team from the University of Oviedo since 2001. Three main zones have been identified: the External Zone, dated to approximately 39,110 ± 520 BP (level N104); the Entrance Platform, dated between 38,250 ± 390 BP and 34,730 ± 500 BP; and Gallery A with a radiocarbon date of approximately 31,540 ± 400 BP (level N2a2). The small-vertebrate assemblages recovered from the water-screening of all sediment from the excavation campaigns represent at least 21 small mammal, amphibian and squamate taxa. The small-vertebrate associations in the three zones suggest a patchy landscape, dominated by humid meadows and woodland areas with the existence of water in the vicinity of the cave. The climate shows a more continental pattern during the Mousterian, though it was milder during the Aurignacian. The small vertebrates of the Cueva del Conde Mousterian and Aurignacian levels suggest a climate that differed from modern day temperatures, between -1.1 and -4.4 °C (mean annual temperature), placing these assemblages during Interstadials 9 to 7 (Is9 to 7)., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2011
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64. Climate forcing of first hominid dispersal in Western Europe.
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Agustí J, Blain HA, Cuenca-Bescós G, and Bailon S
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- Animals, History, Ancient, Humans, Spain, Climate, Hominidae, Population Dynamics
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- 2009
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65. Long-term climate record inferred from early-middle Pleistocene amphibian and squamate reptile assemblages at the Gran Dolina Cave, Atapuerca, Spain.
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Blain HA, Bailon S, Cuenca-Bescós G, Arsuaga JL, Bermúdez de Castro JM, and Carbonell E
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- Animals, Biological Evolution, Climate, Ecosystem, Fossils, Geologic Sediments, Spain, Time Factors, Amphibians physiology, Reptiles physiology
- Abstract
The Gran Dolina cave site is famous for having delivered some of the oldest hominin remains of Western Europe (Homo antecessor, ca. 960 ka). Moreover, the evidence of lithic industries throughout the long vertical section suggests occupation on the part of hominins from the latest early Pleistocene (levels TD3/4, TD5, and TD6) to the late middle Pleistocene (level TD10). The Gran Dolina Sondeo Sur (TDS) has furnished a great number of small-vertebrate remains; among them some 40,000 bones are attributed to amphibians and squamates. Although they do not differ specifically from the extant herpetofauna of the Iberian Peninsula, the overlap of their current distribution areas (= mutual climatic range method) in Spain can provide mean annual temperatures (MAT), the mean temperatures of the coldest (MTC) and warmest (MTW) months, and mean annual precipitation (MAP) estimations for each sub-level, and their change can be studied throughout the sequence. Results from the squamate and amphibian study indicate that during hominin occupation the MAT (10-13 degrees C) was always slightly warmer than at present in the vicinity of the Gran Dolina Cave, and the MAP (800-1000mm) was greater than today in the Burgos area. Climatic differences between "glacial" and "interglacial" phases are poorly marked. Summer temperatures (MTW) show stronger oscillations than winter temperatures (MTC), but seasonality remains almost unchanged throughout the sequence. These results are compared with those for large mammals, small mammals, and pollen analysis, giving a scenario for the palaeoclimatic conditions that occurred during the early to middle Pleistocene in Atapuerca, and hence a scenario for the hominins that once lived in the Sierra de Atapuerca.
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- 2009
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66. Chronological, environmental, and climatic precisions on the Neanderthal site of the Cova del Gegant (Sitges, Barcelona, Spain).
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López-García JM, Blain HA, Cuenca-Bescós G, and Arsuaga JL
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- Animals, Humans, Spain, Time Factors, Climate, Fossils, Hominidae
- Published
- 2008
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67. The first hominin of Europe.
- Author
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Carbonell E, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Parés JM, Pérez-González A, Cuenca-Bescós G, Ollé A, Mosquera M, Huguet R, van der Made J, Rosas A, Sala R, Vallverdú J, García N, Granger DE, Martinón-Torres M, Rodríguez XP, Stock GM, Vergès JM, Allué E, Burjachs F, Cáceres I, Canals A, Benito A, Díez C, Lozano M, Mateos A, Navazo M, Rodríguez J, Rosell J, and Arsuaga JL
- Subjects
- Animals, Genetic Speciation, Geologic Sediments, History, Ancient, Hominidae anatomy & histology, Mammals anatomy & histology, Spain, Technology, Fossils, Hominidae classification, Mandible anatomy & histology
- Abstract
The earliest hominin occupation of Europe is one of the most debated topics in palaeoanthropology. However, the purportedly oldest of the Early Pleistocene sites in Eurasia lack precise age control and contain stone tools rather than human fossil remains. Here we report the discovery of a human mandible associated with an assemblage of Mode 1 lithic tools and faunal remains bearing traces of hominin processing, in stratigraphic level TE9 at the site of the Sima del Elefante, Atapuerca, Spain. Level TE9 has been dated to the Early Pleistocene (approximately 1.2-1.1 Myr), based on a combination of palaeomagnetism, cosmogenic nuclides and biostratigraphy. The Sima del Elefante site thus emerges as the oldest, most accurately dated record of human occupation in Europe, to our knowledge. The study of the human mandible suggests that the first settlement of Western Europe could be related to an early demographic expansion out of Africa. The new evidence, with previous findings in other Atapuerca sites (level TD6 from Gran Dolina), also suggests that a speciation event occurred in this extreme area of the Eurasian continent during the Early Pleistocene, initiating the hominin lineage represented by the TE9 and TD6 hominins.
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
68. First evidence of poisonous shrews with an envenomation apparatus.
- Author
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Cuenca-Bescós G and Rofes J
- Subjects
- Animals, Biological Evolution, Bite Force, Incisor anatomy & histology, Mandible anatomy & histology, Shrews anatomy & histology, Shrews physiology, Venoms metabolism
- Abstract
Herein, we report evidence of an envenomation apparatus (EA) in two different species of extinct "giant" shrews, Beremendia and an indeterminate soricine (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Soricidae), documented by very well preserved fossil specimens recovered from two Early Pleistocene cave deposits of the Sierra de Atapuerca in Burgos, Spain. The two soricine taxa from Atapuerca have evolved specialized teeth as EAs, which differ from those of recently reported mammals of the Paleocene age, being more similar to the ones described in the modern Solenodon. This discovery reveals the first instance of shrews possessing what appears to be an EA, an evolutionary adaptation that, in these species, was probably related to an increase in body mass and hunting of a larger-sized prey. The Atapuerca specimens would have a highly specialized EA, one of the very few reported for an extinct or living mammal of any time. In addition to the presence of a gutter-like groove along the medial side of the crown of the lower incisors, these two species also present stout jaws and a modified mandibular symphysis with a conspicuous cavity, which in life would likely contain large amounts of connective tissue. The strong mandible architecture of these large shrews would be, in this way, reinforced by a more immovable symphysis, increasing the bite force exerted over a potential prey. This adaptation, together with the grooved incisors, would ensure a rapid and efficient transmission of the poisonous saliva to paralyze relatively large-sized prey.
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
69. Biochronological implications of the Arvicolidae (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the Lower Pleistocene hominid-bearing level of Trinchera Dolina 6 (TD6, Atapuerca, Spain).
- Author
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Cuenca-Bescós G, Laplana C, and Canudo JI
- Subjects
- Animals, Calibration, Chronology as Topic, Geologic Sediments, History, Ancient, Humans, Magnetics, Paleodontology, Spain, Biological Evolution, Fossils, Hominidae, Rodentia anatomy & histology, Rodentia classification
- Abstract
Level TD6 of the Trinchera Dolina Section in the railway cutting of the Sierre de Atapuerca (Trinchera del Ferrocarril) has yielded a rich small mammal assemblage (26 species) in association with fossil human remains of Homo antecessor. The arvicolids of TD6 are identified as: Mimomys savini, Microtus seseae, Stenocranius gregaloides, Terricola arvalidens, Iberomys huescarensis, Allophaiomys chalinei, and Pliomys episcopalis. The rodent association also includes large rodents (i.e., Castor fiber, Marmota sp., and Hystrix refossa) and the small Allocricetus sp., Eliomys helleri, Micromys minutus, and Apodemus aff. flavicollis. The small vertebrate remains also include Insectivora (Beremendia fissidens, Sorex sp, Neomys sp., Crocidura sp., Galemys sp., Talpa sp., Erinaceus sp.), Chiroptera (Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis sp., Rhinolophus sp.), and Lagomorpha (Oryctolagus sp., Lepus sp.), as well as lizards, birds and amphibians. The H. antecessor remains are derived from a 15 cm thick layer at the top of TD6 (TD6-T36-43), where A. chalinei, H. refossa and Marmota sp. do not occur. The paleomagnetic Matuyama/Brunhes boundary is found in the overlying level TD7 of the Gran Dolina Section. On the basis of the arvicolids, TD6 can be referred to the Biharian biochron. The Matuyama/Brunhes boundary is fixed in the late Biharian (Microtus-Mimomys rodent Superzone). The species M. savini (without M. pusillus), as well as the evolutionary stage of Microtus s.l., are characteristic of the Late Biharian. The evolutionary level of the species M. savini, T. arvalidens, S. gregaloides indicates that TD6 is older than West Runton (type Cromerian). In the Trinchera Dolina Section we are able to calibrate, for the first time, the evolutionary level of important biochronological markers with magnetostratigraphy. We propose that a radiation of Microtus s.l., along with the first appearance of primitive S. gregaloides, T. arvalidens and Iberomys, took place just before the Matuyama/Brunhes boundary. These species can be considered as characteristic elements of early Pleistocene faunas., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)
- Published
- 1999
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
70. Small mammals from Sima de los Huesos.
- Author
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Cuenca-Bescós G, Laplana Conesa C, Canudo JI, and Arsuaga JL
- Subjects
- Animals, Dentition, Humans, Mammals classification, Mandible anatomy & histology, Paleodontology, Paleontology, Rodentia classification, Spain, Time, Bone and Bones anatomy & histology, Fossils, Mammals anatomy & histology, Rodentia anatomy & histology, Tooth anatomy & histology
- Abstract
A small collection of rodents from Sima de los Huesos helps to clarify the stratigraphic position of this famous human locality. The presence of Allocricetus bursae and Pliomys lenki relictus and the size of A. bursae, Apodemus sylvaticus and Eliomys quercinus suggest a Middle Pleistocene age (Saalian) to the Clays where humans have been found.
- Published
- 1997
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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